Supporting device for electric lamps.



No. 703,984. Patented July 8, I902.

W. F. BREWSTER.

SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

(Application fileq Dec 19, 19011) (No Model.)

INVENTOR E 7 Attorney THE uoims PETERS ca, vplomufno. wunmm'ou. u. c.

. UNrTED STATES ATENT OFFI E.

WILLIAM F. BREWSTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC LA MPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,984, dated July 8,1902.

Application filed December 19, 1901. Serial No. 86,554. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM F. BREWSTER, of New York, in the countyof NewYork and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Supporting Devices for Electric Lamps; and-I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which to itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in supporting devices forelectric lamps, the object being to provide suitable supporting devicesfor electric lamps which may be rearranged at pleasure to permit of achange in the design formed by the group of lamps, combined with devicesconnected to the lam preceptacles, and which present in daylight a neatand clearly-distinguishable outline of the design orletter or groupofletters formed by the series of lamps.

With these ends in view myinvention consists in a series of lamp socketsor receptacles, adjustable connecting devices uniting the severalsockets, front strips or plates having polished, bright, or coloredsurfaces that will contrast with surrounding objects also connecting theseveral lamps and covering the connecting devices, and a guard or sleeve0 surrounding the outer ends of the receptacles and also provided withbright, polished, or colored surfaces, whereby the complete outline ofthe design, word, or words will be clearly visible and distinguishablein the daylight.

My invention further consists in the parts and combinations of parts, aswill be more fully explained,and pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of aletter made up of a series of incandescent lamps and having myimprovements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation ofsame. Fig. 3 is a view in section through two lamps, showing the mannerof securing the lamp sockets or receptacles to the holders and therelative location of the flat strips to the said holder, and Fig. & is asimilar view of a modification.

1 and 2 represent the two parts of the lamp receptacle or socket,preferably made of porcelain and preferably mechanically united by thesmall screw 3, which latter passes and each is provided at its ends withan enlarged head, the enlargements of both heads projecting from thesame side of thelink in the form of circular disks 7. The outer faces ofthese disks are toothed or serrated, so as to interlock with oneanother, and each is provided with a central aperture for the passage ofthe bolts 5, which, as before stated, are firmly secured to the rear orouter face of the part 2 of the lamp receptacle or socket. The

teeth of the disk 7 of one link 6 are adapted to mesh with the teeth ofanother link. Hence when two vdisks are, coupled up, as shown inFig. 3,and locked in position by a winged nut S on bolt 5 it will be seen thatthe links are held against the possibility of slipping on one anotherand a solid and firm support provided for the lamp-sockets. By providingshort links for connecting the lamps, that they can be assembled to formletters or words or even intricate designs, and by supporting thelampreceptacles or sockets at the junctures of the links the lamps also forma skeleton outline of the same design as the supporting-links.

While I prefer to employ links having serrated interlocking heads toprevent the possibility of the links accidentally changing or shiftingtheir relative positions after having been once adjusted, I may employplain fiat links without serrations, as shown in Fig. 4, and in a greatmany-instances such devices will be as effective as the serrated linksand at the same time be decidedly less expensive and lighter in weight.

vOne of the principal features of my invention is in the plates orstrips supported by the several receptacles or sockets and covering andconcealing the links and conductor wires when the design is viewed fromthe front and presenting in the daylight the true and complete outlineof the letter or design formed by the assembled lamps. These plates orstrips 9 are preferably made of aluminium,

through the base of part 1 of the receptacle,

or they may be made of any suitable 1natetog,

rial silvered, colored, enameled, burnished, or otherwise treated topresent a contrasting surface with surrounding objects or one that canbe readily seen at a distance and in the daylight, and each is providednear its ends with an opening of a size sufficient to receive the innerend of part 1 of the receptacle or socket, the said plate embracing saidpart between the shoulder 10, formed on part 1 of the receptacle, andthe link 6 and held against displacement by these parts and also by thesplit rings 6", embracing the sockets behind the plate. With theseplates or strips connecting all the lamps constituting the letter ordesign it will be seen that they will form a perfect outline of theentire letter or design when viewed from the front, thus rendering thedesign or sign nearly as prominent in the daytime as it is at night whenilluminated. To still further assist in making the outline of the letteror design visible or prominent in the daylight, I provide the front endof each receptacle or socket with a sleeve or rain-guard, alsopreferably having a surface corresponding with that of the plate andpreferably made of aluminium. These sleeves or rain-guards 12 arecylindrical in form and of a diameter sufficient to snugly embrace theouter exposed portions of the receptacles, and each is preferablypunched or spun, so as to be without seam or joint, and is provided atits outer end with an inwardly-projecting depressed integral flange,which latter is adapted to engage the lamp near its neck and form, inefiect, a reflector therefor. These guards are yieldingly heldoutwardly, with their flanges in contact with the lamps, by the springs14:, which latter hear at one end against said flanges and at theirother ends against the outer faces of the receptacles or sockets and areretained in position on said receptacles by the lamps.

With a sign or design formed of a series of lamps supported by a framemade up of a series of short links and connected by the plates or stripsand the exposed portions of the receptacles also covered by a sleeveforming a rain-guard I secure neat and plain letters or designs whichare readily distinguishable in the daytime and which make the design aseffective as an advertising medium in the daylight as well as when thelamps are illuminated.

It is evident that many slight changes might be made in the relativearrangements of parts herein shown and described without departing fromthe spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I would have it understoodthat I do not wish to confine myself to the exact construction of partsshown and described; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new,'and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a series of lampreceptacles, and a series ofseparate adjustable rcceptacle-supporting devices connecting saidlamp-receptacles, of independent plates or strips also connecting theseveral receptacles and located in front of the adjustable connectingdevices.

2. The combination with a series of lampreceptacles and a series ofadjustable links connecting said receptacles, of independent plates orstrips connecting the several receptacles and covering the links andwire conductors.

The combination with a series of lampreceptacles, and a series ofadjustable links connecting said receptacles, of independent plates orstrips connecting the several receptacles and covering the links andwire conductors, and sleeves over the outer ends of the receptacles.

4. The combination with a series of lampreceptacles, a series of fiatlinks each having serrated ends and means for adj ustably connecting thelinks to the receptacles, of plates connected to the several receptaclesand covering and concealing said links from the front.

5. The combination with a series of lampreceptacles, a series of linksand means for adjustably connecting the links to the receptacles, ofplates supported by the receptacles in front of the links, and sleevesor guardsv covering the exposed front ends of the receptacles.

6. The combination with a series of lampreceptacles, a series of links,and means for adj ustably connecting the links to the receptacles, ofplates supported by the receptacles in front of the links, andspringpressed sleeves or guards embracing the outer exposed ends of thereceptacles.

7. The combination with a series of lampreceptacles, a series of linksand means for adjustably connecting the links to the receptacles, ofplates supported by the receptacles in front of the links, andspringpressed sleeves or guards embracing the outer eX- posed ends ofthe receptacles, each sleeve or guard having an inwardly-projectingflange at its outer end.

8. The combination with a series of lampreceptacles and a sectional andadjustable supporting-frame therefor,'of a spring-pressed sleeve orguard embracing the outer end of each receptacle and provided at itsouter end with an inwardly-projecting flange adapted to bear against thelamp.

.9. The combination of a series of lamp-receptacles, a series of linkseach having inter locking serrated or toothed ends, and means connectingsaid links with the lamp-receptacles.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM F. BREWSTER.

Witnesses:

W. L. MURRAY, A. W. SEX'roN, J r.

